Birth of Isaac Promised

1 Now athe LORD° appeared° to him by the Iboaks° of Mamre°, while he was sitting° at the tent° door° in the heat° of the day°.
2 When he lifted° up his eyes° and looked°, behold°, three°amen° were standing° opposite° him; and when he saw° [them], he ran° from the tent° door° to meet° them and bowed° himself to the earth°,
3 and said°, “IMy Lord°, if° now° I have found° favor° in Your sight°, please° do not IIpass° Your servant° by.
4 Please° let a little° water° be brought° and awash° your feet°, and Irest° yourselves° under° the tree°;
5 and I will Iabring° a piece° of bread°, that you may IIrefresh° yourselves°; after° that you may go° on, since°°° you have IIIvisited° your servant°.” And they said°, “So° do°, as you have said°.”
6 So Abraham° hurried° into the tent° to Sarah°, and said°, “IQuickly°, prepare° three°IImeasures° of fine° flour°°, knead° [it] and make° bread° cakes°.”
7 Abraham° also ran° to the herd°, and took° a tender° and Ichoice° calf°° and gave° [it] to the servant°, and he hurried° to prepare° it.
8 He took° curds° and milk° and the calf°° which° he had prepared°, and placed° [it] before° them; and he was standing° by them under° the tree°Ias they ate°.

9 ¶ Then they said° to him, “Where° is Sarah° your wife°?” And he said°, “There°, in the tent°.”
10 He said°, “aI will surely° return° to you Iat this time° next° year°; and behold°, Sarah° your wife° will have a son°.” And Sarah° was listening° at the tent° door°, which° was behind° him.
11 Now aAbraham° and Sarah° were old°, advanced° in age°; Sarah° was bpast°Ichildbearing°°.
12 Sarah° laughed°Ito herself°, saying°, “aAfter° I have become° old°, shall I have° pleasure°, my blord° being° old° also?”
13 And the LORD° said° to Abraham°, “Why° did Sarah° laugh°, saying°, ‘Shall I indeed°°Ibear° [a child], when I am° [so] old°?’
14aIs anything° too°Idifficult° for the LORD°? At the bappointed° time° I will return° to you, IIat this° time° next° year°, and Sarah° will have a son°.”
15 Sarah° denied° [it] however, saying°, “I did not laugh°”; for she was afraid°. And He said°, “No°, but you did laugh°.”

16 ¶ Then athe men° rose° up from there°, and looked° down° toward°° Sodom°; and Abraham° was walking° with them to send° them off.
17aThe LORD° said°, “Shall I hide° from Abraham°bwhat° I am about to do°,
18 since Abraham° will surely° become° a great° and Imighty° nation°, and in him aall° the nations° of the earth° will be blessed°?
19 For I have Iachosen° him, so° that he may bcommand° his children° and his household° after° him to ckeep° the way° of the LORD° by doing° righteousness° and justice°, so° that the LORD° may bring° upon Abraham°dwhat° He has spoken° about° him.”
20 And the LORD° said°, “aThe outcry° of Sodom° and Gomorrah° is indeed° great°, and their sin° is exceedingly° grave°.
21 I will ago° down° now°, and see° if they have done° entirely° according to its outcry°, which has come° to Me; and if° not, I will know°.”

22 ¶ Then athe men° turned° away° from there° and went° toward Sodom°, while Abraham° was still° standing° before°bthe LORD°.
23 Abraham° came° near° and said°, “aWill You indeed° sweep° away° the righteous° with the wicked°?
24 Suppose° there° are fifty° righteous° within° the city°; will You indeed° sweep° [it] away° and not Ispare° the place° for the sake° of the fifty° righteous° who° are in it?
25 Far° be it from You to do°Isuch° a thing°, to slay° the righteous° with the wicked°, so that the righteous° and the wicked° are [treated] alike. Far° be it from You! Shall not athe Judge° of all° the earth°IIdeal° justly°?”
26 So the LORD° said°, “aIf° I find° in Sodom° fifty° righteous° within° the city°, then I will Ispare° the whole° place° on their account°.”
27 And Abraham° replied°, “Now° behold°, I have Iventured° to speak° to the Lord°, although I am [but] adust° and ashes°.
28 Suppose° the fifty° righteous° are lacking° five°, will You destroy° the whole° city° because of five°?” And He said°, “I will not destroy° [it] if° I find° forty-five°° there°.”
29 He spoke° to Him yet° again° and said°, “Suppose° forty° are found° there°?” And He said°, “I will not do° [it] on account° of the forty°.”
30 Then he said°, “Oh° may° the Lord° not be angry°, and I shall speak°; suppose° thirty° are found° there°?” And He said°, “I will not do° [it] if° I find° thirty° there°.”
31 And he said°, “Now° behold°, I have Iventured° to speak° to the Lord°; suppose° twenty° are found° there°?” And He said°, “I will not destroy° [it] on account° of the twenty°.”
32 Then he said°, “aOh° may° the Lord° not be angry°, and I shall speak° only° this° once°; suppose° ten° are found° there°?” And He said°, “I will not destroy° [it] on account° of the ten°.”
33 As soon° as He had finished° speaking° to Abraham°athe LORD° departed°, and Abraham° returned° to his place°.

Abraham entertaineth three angels.

1 ¶ And the LORDº appearedºª unto² him in the plainsº of Mamre:º and he² satºª in the tentº doorº in the heatº of the day;º2 And he lift upºª his eyesº and looked,ºª and, lo,² threeº men¹² stoodºª by² him: and when he sawºª [them], he ranºª to meetºª them from the tent¹ door,º²² and bowed¹ª himself² toward the ground,º3 And said,ºª My Lord,º if² now² I have foundºª favourº in thy sight,º pass not away,ºª² I pray thee,² from²² thy servant:º4 Let a littleº water,º I pray you,º be fetched,ºª and washºª your feet,º and rest yourselvesºª under² the tree:º5 And I will fetchºª a morselº of bread,º and comfort² ye¹ª your hearts;º after thatº ye shall pass on:ºª for² therefore²² are ye comeºª toº your servant.º And they said,¹ª² So² do,ºª as² thou hast said.¹ª²6 And Abrahamº hastenedºª into the tentº unto² Sarah,º and said,ºª Make ready quicklyºª threeº measuresº of fineº meal,º kneadºª [it], and makeºª cakes¹ upon the hearth.¹ª²7 And Abrahamº ranºª unto² the herd,º and fetchtºª a calfºº tenderº and good,º and gaveºª [it] unto² a young man;º and he hastedºª to dressºª it. 8 And he tookºª butter,º and milk,º and the calfºº which² he had dressed,ºª and setºª [it] before² them;¹ and he² stoodºª by² them under² the tree,º and they did eat.ºª

Sarah is reproved for laughing at the strange promise.

9 ¶ And they saidºª unto² him, Whereº [is] Sarahº thy wife?º And he said,ºª Behold,² in the tent.º10 And he said,ºª I will certainly¹ª returnºª unto² thee according to the timeº of life;º and, lo,² Sarahº thy wifeº shall have a son.º And Sarahº heardºª [it] in the tentº door,º which² [was] behind² him.¹11 Now Abrahamº and Sarahº [were] oldº [and] well strickenºª in age;º [and] it ceasedºª to be² with Sarahº after the mannerº of women.º12 Therefore Sarahº laughedºª within² herself,¹ saying,ºª Afterº I am waxed oldºª shall I have² pleasure,º my lordº being old² also?¹ª13 And the LORDº saidºª unto² Abraham,º Whereforeº² did Sarahº laugh,ºª saying,ºª Shall I of a suretyº² bear¹ª a child,² whichº am old?ºª14 Is¹ª any thingº too hardºª for the LORD?º² At the time appointedº I will returnºª unto² thee, according to the timeº of life,º and Sarahº shall have a son.º15 Then Sarahº denied,ºª saying,ºª I laughedºª not;² for² she was afraid.ºª And he said,ºª Nay;º but² thou didst laugh.ºª

The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham.

17 And the LORDº said,ºª Shall I² hideºª from Abrahamº² that thing whichº I² do;ºª18 Seeing that Abrahamº shall surely becomeº a greatº and mightyº nation,º and all² the nationsº of the earthº shall be blessedºª in him? 19 For² I knowºª him, thatº² he will commandºª² his childrenº and his householdº after² him,¹ and they shall keepºª the wayº of the LORD,º to doºª justiceº and judgment;º that² the LORDº may bringºª upon² Abrahamº² that which² he hath spokenºª of² him. 20 And the LORDº said,ºª Because² the cryº of Sodomº and Gomorrahº is great,¹² and because² their sinº is veryº grievous;ºª21 I will go downºª now,² and seeºª whether they have doneºª altogetherº according to the cryº of it, which is comeºª unto² me; and if² not,² I will know.ºª22 And the men¹² turned their facesºª from thence,²² and went¹ª² toward Sodom:º but Abrahamº stoodºª yetº beforeº the LORD.º

Abraham maketh intercession for the men thereof.

23 ¶ And Abrahamº drew near,ºª and said,ºª Wilt thou also² destroyºª the righteousº withº the wicked?º24 Peradventure² there beº fiftyº righteousº withinº the city:º wilt thou also² destroyºª and not² spareºª the placeº forº the fiftyº righteousº that² [are] therein?º25 That be farº from thee to doºª² after this² manner,º to slayºª the righteousº with² the wicked:º and that the righteousº should be² as the wicked,º that be farº from thee: Shall not² the Judgeºª of all² the earthº doºª right?º26 And the LORDº said,ºª If² I findºª in Sodomº fiftyº righteousº withinº the city,º then I will spareºª all² the placeº for their sakes.²27 And Abrahamº answeredºª and said,ºª Behold² now,² I have taken upon² me¹ª to speakºª unto² the Lord,º whichº [am but] dustº and ashes:º28 Peradventure² there shall lackºª fiveº of the fiftyº righteous:º wilt thou destroyºª² all² the cityº for [lack of] five?º And he said,ºª If² I findºª there² fortyº and five,º I will not² destroyºª [it]. 29 And he spakeºª unto² him yet² again,ºª and said,ºª Peradventure² there shall be fortyº foundºª there.² And he said,ºª I will not² doºª [it] for forty's¹ sake.²²30 And he saidºª [unto him], Ohº let not² the Lordº be angry,ºª and I will speak:ºª Peradventure² there shall thirtyº be foundºª there.² And he said,ºª I will not² doºª [it], if² I findºª thirtyº there.²31 And he said,ºª Behold² now,² I have taken upon² me¹ª to speakºª unto² the Lord:º Peradventure² there shall be twentyº foundºª there.² And he said,ºª I will not² destroyºª [it] for twenty's¹ sake.²²32 And he said,ºª Oh² let not² the Lordº be angry,ºª and I will speakºª yetº but this once:º Peradventure² tenº shall be foundºª there.² And he said,ºª I will not² destroyºª [it] for ten's¹ sake.²²33 And the LORDº went his way,¹ª² as soon asº he had leftºª communingºª with² Abraham:º and Abrahamº returnedºª unto his place.º